Some new thinking on downtown

Published: Sunday, June 23, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 21, 2013 at 5:44 p.m.

Hendersonville City Council had the luxury of several good proposals in deciding how to redevelop the old Grey Hosiery Mill. The option it chose may be the best one, but it shows council split on the idea of expanding residential use downtown.

Council voted 3-2 to transform the 98-year-old mill into a new local campus for Wingate University, which has outgrown its location at 220 Fifth Ave. E., thanks to the popularity of its pharmacy and MBA programs.

Councilmen Jerry Smith and Jeff Collis and Mayor Barbara Volk voted to accept a proposal by consultant Robert Englander and gave him 90 days to seal the deal with the university. Councilmen Steve Caraker and Ron Stephens opposed the idea to renovate the mill solely for Wingateís use, saying they would rather see mixed residential and other uses.

Collis said he has never supported residential use at the site since he first came on council in 2005. ďI think itís the wrong place. Itís right next to the courthouse. Itís overlooking the jail, and I think that any type of residential that we put in there would just end up becoming dilapidated or end up being vacant like we see so many other properties on that street,Ē he said.

Stephens said he supports the idea of the university and housing, too. He said he would have rather voted for a plan by White Challis Redevelopment Co. to renovate the mill with 34 loft-style apartments plus spaces for commerce and Wingate.

ďI think itís a big boost to downtown having people living downtown,Ē Stephens said. ďItís good for business, itís good for the tax base, and I think it would help bridge the gap between Seventh (Avenue) and Main (Street).Ē

Council considered two other options: a plan to renovate the mill as a bustling marketplace with a gallery, coffee shop and/or restaurant and rental space for events; and a proposal for a space where artists could live and work, including offices, galleries and offices for the Arts Council of Henderson County.

Any of these proposals would be preferable to letting the mill continue to fall into disrepair. The building has been vacant for so long that few folks around today remember it as more than a boarded up brick building. But for half a century, it was a bustling part of downtown.

The mill opened in 1915 after residents contributed $600 to bring industrial developers to town. Capt. James P. Grey and his son opened the mill in a small brick and frame structure. It originally produced knee-length ribbed stockings for children, which some 25 employees manufactured on 32 knitting machines, according to the Hendersonville Historic Preservation Commission. With the World War II-era invention of nylon, the mill started producing 66,000 pairs of seamless womenís hosiery weekly and employed 250 people at its peak.

For 50 years, the mill was owned by the Grey family, who were highly regarded by employees for their progressive management. ďAlthough the company did not provide housing for its workers, the mill provided insurance for its employees, a nurse on duty, and child care,Ē and even sponsored several sports teams, according to the commissionís historical sketch. The mill was sold in 1965 to Holt Hosiery Mills Inc. of Burlington, which shuttered it two years later. The city has owned the mill site since the 1980s.

Public interest in restoring the property peaked with a proposal in the mid 2000s to redevelop the site as an arts center, but that idea collapsed due largely to a $35 million price tag. More recent proposals for a conference center and housing have also fallen through.

Given the millís historical significance, council has done right to carefully consider the future of the site. Wingate Universityís local campus has been a great addition to downtown, and the expansion will also be an asset after renovations are complete, which could be in 2015.

If Englanderís proposal does not win final approval from the university, council should not rule out the possibility of mixed residential and other uses. Urban redevelopment often occurs when people live and work downtown. Just because the area has become dilapidated in recent years does not mean it will always be so.

<p>Hendersonville City Council had the luxury of several good proposals in deciding how to redevelop the old Grey Hosiery Mill. The option it chose may be the best one, but it shows council split on the idea of expanding residential use downtown.</p><p>Council voted 3-2 to transform the 98-year-old mill into a new local campus for Wingate University, which has outgrown its location at 220 Fifth Ave. E., thanks to the popularity of its pharmacy and MBA programs.</p><p>Councilmen Jerry Smith and Jeff Collis and Mayor Barbara Volk voted to accept a proposal by consultant Robert Englander and gave him 90 days to seal the deal with the university. Councilmen Steve Caraker and Ron Stephens opposed the idea to renovate the mill solely for Wingate’s use, saying they would rather see mixed residential and other uses.</p><p>Collis said he has never supported residential use at the site since he first came on council in 2005. I think it’s the wrong place. It’s right next to the courthouse. It’s overlooking the jail, and I think that any type of residential that we put in there would just end up becoming dilapidated or end up being vacant like we see so many other properties on that street, he said.</p><p>Stephens said he supports the idea of the university and housing, too. He said he would have rather voted for a plan by White Challis Redevelopment Co. to renovate the mill with 34 loft-style apartments plus spaces for commerce and Wingate.</p><p>I think it’s a big boost to downtown having people living downtown, Stephens said. It’s good for business, it’s good for the tax base, and I think it would help bridge the gap between Seventh (Avenue) and Main (Street).</p><p>Council considered two other options: a plan to renovate the mill as a bustling marketplace with a gallery, coffee shop and/or restaurant and rental space for events; and a proposal for a space where artists could live and work, including offices, galleries and offices for the Arts Council of Henderson County.</p><p>Any of these proposals would be preferable to letting the mill continue to fall into disrepair. The building has been vacant for so long that few folks around today remember it as more than a boarded up brick building. But for half a century, it was a bustling part of downtown.</p><p>The mill opened in 1915 after residents contributed $600 to bring industrial developers to town. Capt. James P. Grey and his son opened the mill in a small brick and frame structure. It originally produced knee-length ribbed stockings for children, which some 25 employees manufactured on 32 knitting machines, according to the Hendersonville Historic Preservation Commission. With the World War II-era invention of nylon, the mill started producing 66,000 pairs of seamless women’s hosiery weekly and employed 250 people at its peak.</p><p>For 50 years, the mill was owned by the Grey family, who were highly regarded by employees for their progressive management. Although the company did not provide housing for its workers, the mill provided insurance for its employees, a nurse on duty, and child care, and even sponsored several sports teams, according to the commission’s historical sketch. The mill was sold in 1965 to Holt Hosiery Mills Inc. of Burlington, which shuttered it two years later. The city has owned the mill site since the 1980s.</p><p>Public interest in restoring the property peaked with a proposal in the mid 2000s to redevelop the site as an arts center, but that idea collapsed due largely to a $35 million price tag. More recent proposals for a conference center and housing have also fallen through.</p><p>Given the mill’s historical significance, council has done right to carefully consider the future of the site. Wingate University’s local campus has been a great addition to downtown, and the expansion will also be an asset after renovations are complete, which could be in 2015.</p><p>If Englander’s proposal does not win final approval from the university, council should not rule out the possibility of mixed residential and other uses. Urban redevelopment often occurs when people live and work downtown. Just because the area has become dilapidated in recent years does not mean it will always be so.</p>